The Oklahoma State Board of Elections has determined that the Americans Elect petition for party status has enough valid signatures. This is the first time any newly-qualifying party has been recognized in Oklahoma since 2000.
The Board says the Libertarian Party has 41,070 valid signatures, which is short of the legal requirement of 51,739. The status of the Libertarian Party now depends on what happens next in the party’s lawsuit, which challenges the March 1 deadline, and also challenges the due process problem that the 2011 legislation that moved the deadline deprived the party of its legal right to have one year to complete the petition drive.
It’s frustrating that Americans Elect can take unlimited donations to pursue ballot access in Oklahoma, but other parties aren’t allowed to.
Richard- will this impact negatively on the LP court action? Since AE did comply with the current law does it make it more difficult for the LP to argue its case?
Americans Elect had a much larger budget to spend on its campaign and, therefore, was able to pay a bit more for sigs. It would be interesting to see all the signatures that were turned in by the coordinator & find out how many were not paid for. The company that handled it is well known for scamming circulators. It is a shame that AE isn’t concerned about such matters!!
what shame the Libertarians can’t get on. Whoever is really behind this AMERICANS ELECT PARTY wow people better watch out, this has HIDDEN AGENDA written all over it. So much money behind these people.
#4
TO CONSPIRACY THEORISTS:
THERE IS NO HIDDEN AGENDA. CHANGE IS COMING WHETHER YOU LIKE IT OR NOT.
#5… I truly want to believe this “party” has no agenda other than to provide an alternative choice. I am suspicious of the money that is backing the effort and I cannot understand why they would foot the bill for this only to give up control over who gets the AE nomination. If you can explain that to me in a satisfactory way I am very interested in hearing the explanation. By the way, I have registered online as a delegate with AE. Thanks!
Casual,
Firstly, I wish that AE donors were known as it would take away oxygen from the greatest criticism of AE. This is the most imperfect aspect of AE.
I don’t know if I can satisfactorily alleve concerns of any undue “payback” to AE’s main seed donors by AE’s nominee.
I was at a forum organzied by Univ of Texas’ political dept profiling AE last month where AE’s CEO Kahlil Byrd and supporter Bill McKinnon were fielding questions and this topic was the first and main discussion. In short, as McKinnon detailed, the AE donors $ only can go to ballot access and internet voting plaform use. The delegates are the only ones you can vote for and decide on the candidates. Whoever is chosen as AE’s nominee will have no allegiance, responsibility or ever having received a single cent from any AE donors. Nor will they know who the donors are. AE’s nominee will be entirely responsible for raising and funding the necessary contributions for their own campaign.
McKinnon put like this: “If there is no quid, there is no quo”.
I applaud your participation in Americans Elect even despite its imperfection.
I got paid in full from Americans Elect. I was on the ground for months in southern Oklahoma. (Last paycheck was late, just by a week or two.)
The Libertarian Party paid in full, as well, and I might add, on time.
Problem was quite simple. The LP was paying only $1 a signature, with zero money for hotel. I spent about 80% of my time in the early days of the drive sleeping in my car, and taking showers at truck stops.
You simply cannot attract professional petitioners if you do not take care of them. I only did it, cause I’m a Libertarian. But the mecenary petitioners, the really good ones, all stayed away from OK.
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I suspect that the Libertarian Party could have made it on the ballot in Oklahoma had the petition drive not been mismanaged.